Breast pocket for brassieres



Patented Mar. 26, 194.

YRoy, H.` Davidson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Vassar' Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofv Illi- -nois Application February 21, 1944, Serial No. 523,256

(C1. Gli-176) 11 Claims.

My invention relates to the art of knitted fabrics and particularly to the construction and formation of breast pockets for brassires.

Other of the objects of my invention is to provide a knitted breast pocket for brassires in one integral formed unitor piece, without joints, stitching or other seams, and without any sharply defined points. Y

A further object is to provide a knitted fabric breast pocket for brassires formed in jone piece, of suitable depth and rounded or curved in all directions to give the breast a neat, molded appearance.

A further object is to provide a continuous knitted fabric of uniform width, having at spaced intervals integrally formed pockets, and which, when severed transversely between the pockets, provides individual pockets ready for mounting in a brassire frame.

A further object is to provide integral, completely formed knitted breast pockets in pairs, united at their selvedges and adapted for mounting in a. brassire frame by securing their marginal portion to the band Amembers of the frame.

A further object is to provide a method of knitting a continuous fabric band or strip, of uniform width, which includes the formation of selvedges on both margins of said band and the formation of outstanding pocket portions at spaced intervals in the length of the fabric.

The above and other objects of my invention will appear from the following description and appended claims in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawing,

Fig. l is a diagrammatic face View of a strip or band of knitted fabric, illustrating the cavities or pockets formed therein;

Fig. 2 is a side or edge View of the band shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. l, illustrating the shape of the formed pockets; A

Fig. 4 is a face view similar to Fig. l, but of twoof the bands joined along their selvedge margins in the process of forming pairs of individual pockets;

Fig. 5 is a .view of a brassire frame in which a pair of pockets are mounted; and

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The invention concerns the production of knitted fabric pockets A which are formed at spaced intervals in the process of knitting a continuous band or strip of fabric, which pockets are afterwards severed from the continuous band B and mounted in a suitable brassire frame.

The 'band or stripB is formed as a continuous piece of fabric of uniform width by a series of successive courses, but at definite intervals in the length of the fabric the successive courses are gradually narrowed and then widened while the width of the fabric is maintained, which results in the formation of pocketsv or cavities protruding from the face or plane of the fabric. The individual pockets are intended to be separated from the continuous bandby severing the' band transversely on lines between the pocket portions. The band kor strip B` is preferably made on a circular latch needle machine of the type using a single set of needles and sinkers, although it can be produced on a fiat bed latch yneedle machine. The machine is filled with the number of needles necessary to provide the desired width ofA fabric, and this VWidth is maintained continuously. The cylinder carrying the needles is operated with a reciprocal movement so as to knit a course during movement in each direction.VV Suitable cams are provided to gradually remove or withdrawneedles from and vrestore them to operation for narrowing and widening courses at the proper time to Abring about-the formation of the. pocket portions A.

Referring more particularly to Figs. l and 2, the line of needles l is indicated, and a length of knitted fabric B is shown as having already come from the needles, the movement of the band being in the direction indicated by the arrow 2. The pocket portions B are equally spaced valong the length of the fabric, and the portions of the band between the pockets, as indicated by the brackets C, are formed as plain knitting, that is, the courses extend the fullwidth of the fabric and form the -selvedge 4 along each margin. After the section C of the fabric has been knitted and the point is reached where the pocket portion is to be formed, the cams operate to commence the narrowing operation. This narrowing operation is accomplished, as is well known in machines of this type', by removing or withdrawing needleslfrom knitting position. In accordance vwith my invention, I arrange the machine to withdraw needles witheach stroke of the cylinder in each direction beginning at the selvedges 4 so that thek fashion lines `5 `on which the narrowing courses terminate,- extend toward the center of the vfabric .and may be said to be perpendicular to the selvedges 4.

For a .few courses before the ends 6 of the fashion lines are reached, I prefer to increase the rate at which the courses are narrowed by withdrawingtwo needles instead of one, with each stroke of the cylinder. These two-needle ranges are indicated by the brackets 'l in Fig. 3,

p and the purpose is to round off or curve theV l fabric in .these .ranges and thereby .avoid .corners or points .in Vthepocket which would.;otherwise needle to the inner ends of said fashion lines. Thus each successive course is narrowed first by 1 one needle and then by two needles vfrom each side of the fabric, and the previously formed l be formed by continuing the removal of one i loops are retained on the withdrawnsneedles-to L maintain the width of the fabric. On "thecompletion of the narrowing at the ends of the fashion lines 5, the procedureis` reversed :and .the successive courses are widened at the same rate as they were shortened during the narrowing operation, that is, .the withdrawn-needles are restored toknitting positiontwo needles .for each stroke in 4each direction of movement .of .the Jcylinder within the'ranges `.'l ,and then `one needle,

until 'all of the needles arerestored, .thus .widening the courses along thev same vfashion lines `5. These narrowing andwidening operations .form a pocket B, as shownz-in Fig. 3, which is somewhat .cone or triangularlyshaped Witha rounded apex and .disposed ina `plane transverse of .the

fabric band. .Thus the pocket .is formed .by `an upper and a lower triangularweb which protrude or stand out f-romsthe faceof the band and which have their margins meeting .along the fashion` The thicknessof lthe fabric and the lines 5. pockets is exaggerated in Fig. 2 inorder to .better illustrate the fashionlines 5 .andfthe upper and lower websof Ithe pocket portions protruding from the face ofthe fabric.

After the "narrowing .and widening operations to form therpocket havebeencompleted and all` the needles have :beenrestored to .knitting .oper' ation, .the knitting `of `thesection Ciscontinued for the desired length as ,plain knitting with the courses extending the full .width .of the fabric. Upon the completion of the .length .of .Plain knitted V,section C, the .next pocket ,is .formed by repetition of the narrowing and widening Operations as above described. -Itistobe noted that since the narrowing .and widening ofthe .courses which form the pocket Lzoccur along (the vsame fashion lines V.5, there .is .no .length .added to fthe` band between the .sections C.. D urmg the Vknitlengths of fabric joined together by the seam 9. The individual pairs of pockets are then sepa-v rated from the bands by cutting both bands along the loose course markers. InFig. 4, they lower pair of pockets are shown as having been cut from the bands. p

Sincethe fabric is made of the .usualyarn such as rayon, silkfetc., it is entirely flexible aand the mouths of the pockets can be widenedor ex- .panded to more or less an oval shape to fit the oval openings l0 in the brassire frame D, as

shown in Figs. .5 and 6. In this instance, the

brassire frame comprises a lower band Il and `twou-pper `curved bands l2 arranged to form the two'ovalbreast "openings l0. The marginal portions of the pair v0f pockets. are sewed to the bands .Band Alill. j

` pocket having .selvedge .margins .and lhaving upper and'lower webs of progressively narrowed courses ,meeting .on :fashion lines which .extend ting `.of .the lplain .sections C, .Iprov'ide for` the forming .of one .loosecourse `8 in `each section. .'I'his .loose-course is disposed slightlycloser to one than the .other Aof .the .pockets and isintended to serve .as amarker von which to sever the fabric to separate the -individual pockets.

lThe band .A .is Vprogressively 'knitted Without interruption .asa .continuous fabric of uniform widthand Aofindeiinite length, andis lthereby ca-- pable of ,fast and .continuous production. J'Since `the, .pockets.are completely formedinthe process of knitting, vvit is unnecessary Ato provide `forany loopers waste `or toprovide anyseamsorstitching Y .frame-of abrassire.` Lengths 'of the fabric are cut (from ythe continuous band along -the "loose courses `8. 1n practice these lengthsv aresuicient .to include ten .or twelvepocket portions. Two "of these lengths are'positionedside by side with :the loose course markers vand fashion'linesg'E--in alignment, and joined valong'their'selvedge edges l by seamer or looper stitching. Fig. 4 illustrates two inwardly toward the center of the fabric from the selvedge margins and at .substantially .right angles thereto for -a vportion of .their .length .and curved at their inner end portions.

y2. A fashioned integral .one-piece knitted fabric breast pocket comprising a section .of flat. knitted fabric of uniform width and having .selvedge margins, and having intermediate the .length thereof Aand outstanding therefrom .a pocket portion having upper Vand lower webs ..in. planes transverse of thelength of the fabric, .said webs n being gradually narrower lrin width toward fthe center of the pocket portion and meeting at their margins on .fashion lines .extending from the selvedge margins toward the .centerof'the pocket and disposed perpendicularly to said selvedgc margins fora portion .of their lengthand .curved at their inner end portions. .Y y

3. A fashioned knitted one-piece breast .pocket comprising .a length .of'knitted fabric .of Vuniform width vand selvedges .at .its edges', the courses .of

which run the .full width .of the fabric, and .an intermediate pocket portionfoutstanding from '.the face thereof having courses graduallynarrower toward :the center of the vpocket and ending @on fashion Alines"beginning at theselvedges and zex.- tending perpendicularly to Asaid seh/.edges toward the center of saidv pocket, the cours-csVV ending on` ftheinner end portions of said;fashion lines :being narrowed at a greater rate,

4. As anarticle -ofjmanufacturey --a continuous knitted fabric band of Auniform*width'having sections `offlat knitted fabric, the courses of fwhich run the fu'll width 'of the band to'se'lvedges at the margins thereof and 'having outstanding from the face thereof, at spaced intervals along its length, pocket portions comprising upperand lower walls of substantial triangular form, the courses of which .-graduallyfnaxrower .toward the :apex and fmeet'at their .endson fashionlines which extendin straight lines :from-the iselvedfges `toward the Yapenv and :substantially 'at right :angles to said selvedges and on curved lines at the innery end portions to form a rounded apex portion for said pockets.

5. As an article of manufacture, a continuous knitted fabric band of uniform width having sections of flat knitted fabric, the courses of which run the full width of the band to selvedges at the margins thereof and having outstanding from the face thereof, at spaced intervals along its length, pocket portions comprising upper and lower walls of substantial triangular form, the courses of which are gradually narrower toward the apex and meet at their ends on fashion lines which extend from 'the selvedges toward the apex and substantially at right angles to said selvedges, said band having loose ,courses intermediate said pocket portions to indicate the lines of severance of said band.

6. As an article of manufacture, a knitted fabric comprising two knitted bands of equal width having selvedge margins and joined side by side along adjacent selvedge margins and each having a plurality of equally spaced knitted pocket portions outstanding therefrom, the pocket portions of the two bands being disposediin transverse alignment, said bands having markers intermediate the pocket portions and in transverse alignment to indicate the line of severance of both bands.

7. As an article of manufacture, a pair of fashioned knitted breast pockets each having substantially parallel selvedge margins and joined at adjoining selvedge margins and each comprising knitted upper and lower webs of substantially triangular shape, the courses of which meet on fashion lines extending toward the apex from the selvedge margins. v

8. As an article of manufacture, a pair of fashioned knitted breast pockets having parallel selvedge margins and joined at adjacent selvedge margins and each comprising knitted upper and lower webs of substantially triangular shape, the courses of which meet on fashion lines extending toward the apex from the selvedge margins, and a brassire frame having upper and lower curved bands forming a pair of oval openings, said pockets being positioned in said openings and secured around their margins to said upper and lower bands. y

9. The method of forming breast pockets which includes knitting in succession a plurality of straight courses on a plurality of needles to form a band of uniform width with selvedge margins, then knitting a plurality of courses of diminishing width beginning at the selvedge margins and narrowing by one needle at each side of the fabric, then knitting a plurality of courses each narrowing by two needles at each side of the fabric, then knitting a plurality of courses each widening by two needles at each side of the fabric, then knitting a plurality of courses each widening by one needle at each side of the fabric until the courses reach the selvedge margins of the fabric, and then continuing the knitting of a plurality of courses of uniform width.

10. A fashioned knitted one-piece breast pocket comprising a fabric formed of successive courses of uniform width having selvedge edges, and an intermediate pocket portion outstanding from the face thereof and comprising upper and lower walls of substantially triangular form with rounded apex portions, the sides of said walls meeting on inwardly extending transverse fashion lines, and the rounded apex portions of said walls meeting on curved fashion lines forming continuations of said transverse fashion lines.

11. The method of forming a breast pocket in one piece which includes knitting in succession, a plurality of courses of uniform width, then reducing the width of the fabric by diminishing the loops at the ends of progressive courses, then further reducing the width by diminishing a greater number of loops at the ends of progressive courses, then widening the fabric by adding said greater number of loops at the ends of progressive courses, then continuing the widening by adding a lesser number of loops at the ends of progressive courses until the courses reach the Width of said uniform-width courses, and then knitting a plurality of uniform width courses. ROY H. DAVIDSON. 

